The Ritual Killer is a crime thriller with a hint of drama directed by George Gallo.
Actors who took part in the film:
- – Morgan Freeman
- – Cole Heiser
- — Muriel Hileyre;
- — Peter Stormare
- — Brian Kurlander and many others.
The film is also a drama about the life of Lucas Boyde. The protagonist works as a detective in Mississippi and investigates a series of mysterious international murders.
What is The The Ritual Killer about?
The plot focuses on the personal pain of detective Boyde, who recently lost the main meaning of his life – his beloved daughter Jessica. The desperate father blames his profession for everything, because of which the girl’s death followed. Over time, a man, in order to get rid of sad thoughts, is completely immersed in work.
In his hometown of Clinton, Mississippi, as in several others, there are a number of brutal murders. All of them are similar to each other and definitely remind police officers of the African ritual “Muti”. Involved in the investigation, Lucas Boyd enlists the support of an experienced specialist in such cases – the anthropologist Maccles, an acting university professor who studies the magical cults of antiquity, including Africa.
The search for the killer unites the interests of men and together they plunge into the depths of the rituals of black magic, trying to study the criminal behind these bloody murders. Professor Mackles assures his partner that there is always a thin line between insanity and common sense, this is inherent in all cultures to a single one. Soon they are convinced of this from personal experience in real life.
The meaning of the film “The Ritual Killer”
The beginning of the film introduces the viewer to an Italian policeman named Marco Lavazzi. A defender of the law is investigating a brutal murder that took place in Rome. The case is moving and gradually the thread leads him to a certain Randok, who ruthlessly killed the policemen in an attempt to avoid arrest and detention. Randoku received his assignment from businessman Shelby Farner.
At this moment, already known to us, Lucas Boyd, in his work, is investigating the corpse of a girl who was caught in the local river of the city of Clinton. The young girl was apparently murdered and died a violent death because her genitals were completely cut out. While Boyd is gathering all the information on this case together, Randoku has already kidnapped a ten-year-old boy all in the same city.
Some time later, the body of this boy is found in an abandoned building. Boyd, along with his partner named Maria, go to the scene of the crime. They discover a boy with certain signs of an African death ritual. It was with this murder that the first communication between the detective and Professor Maccles began, but it did not advance far. Persevering, Lucas Boyd learns from an anthropologist that he is investigating not just a brutal murder, but the case of a sagnoma, a South African medicine man.
The difference between ritual deaths and ordinary crimes of maniacs is that the former carry a certain meaning. So, the killer, acting according to an African ritual, collects the organs of his victims in order to use them as the main ingredient for preparing a special potion. Farner’s clients are happy to dismantle such a potion, because it improves their health and gives prosperity in all areas of life.
The next task for Randoku Farner puts the murder of a young and intelligent man. But this time the killer is ahead of the police. Randoku, in an attempt to escape, severely injures Boyd’s partner, Maria. After this incident, Lucas Boyd communicates with the Italian policeman Marco Lavazzi, who informs his colleague about Farner’s direct involvement in these murders.
In an attempt to get justice, the detective meets with the main suspect and threatens him. In parallel, Randok, who is on the run, is preparing for a new murder and has already found a target – a girl named Kathy. He strives at all costs to fulfill his obligation and give the organs of a young and intelligent girl for medicine. After the disappearance of Kathy, life again brings Farner and Boyd together, now Mackles is present during their conversation. Lucas Boyd is determined to save the young girl, and a fight ensues between the men. Randoku suddenly appears and aims to kill the professor, but the man manages to strike first.
Explanation of the ending The Ritual Killer
The ending of the film is ambiguous, it may be incomprehensible at first, but it has a deep meaning. Detective Lucas Boyd still saves Kathy’s girlfriend. After a while, he again contacts the Italian policeman Lavazzi, who told him about the strange case. Randoku was in Rome more than half a year ago and attended a lecture by Professor Maccles. As it was possible to establish, later he met with him several times.
The detective decided to visit the anthropologist, but he was absent from the workplace. As it turned out, the man took a vacation without specifying a specific period. Apparently, the professor went in search of Randoku, who miraculously managed to escape from the police, albeit with a knife wound at the hands of Maccles.
Boyd realizes that the professor may be the one who discovered the secret behind the African ritual killings for Randoku. And his lecture in Rome could just be about the Muti ritual. The international criminal immediately realized that he could successfully sell such deep and ancient knowledge to Farner. Suddenly, the detective realizes that Mackles understood everything, he created a bloodthirsty and cold-blooded killer through his teachings. The professor certainly blames himself for these terrible deaths.
After some time, Boyd receives an anonymous letter – a package with undefined contents. Opening the package, the detective finds a note with the words “I found him.” Maccles’s handwriting, and Randok’s eye sockets in the bag. At that moment, justice triumphed in the man’s heart. Oh Macles! Oh professor! Didn’t spare Randoka. And in the same ritual style, the scientist completed the chain of deaths that were committed on the basis of his knowledge.
In parallel with Boyd, Lavazzi also receives a package, also with the organ of a murdered ritual maniac. The professor thereby explained the Muti practice to his colleagues. Each organ has its own influence, the genitals attract courage, the brain attracts knowledge and power, and the eyes attract clarity and far-sightedness. Maccles, as well as a sagnoma, sent his clients a wish for good health and success in business.
Therefore, Lucas Boyd received from his partner in the investigation of African murders – the eyes of Randoku. The professor thereby conveyed his parting words in a metaphorical explanation – to be forward-looking, perspicacious and clear-thinking. Perhaps Macles thereby hinted at the foresight of dangerous situations, or clues to mysterious crimes.
Lucas Boyd may or may not have understood this. But, a man with a special brutal feeling just took and ate the eyes of his enemy. He could thus express the real anger he felt towards Randoku. After all, he was never able to take revenge on the ritual killer for all the people he killed, especially for his wounded service partner, the young girl Maria.
